The Internet is a large connection of interconnected computers. Initially developed by the United States Defense Department, it has recently expanded to a great variety of uses. A significant percentage of the population in the United States and in many other countries currently has access to the Internet and its use is growing rapidly.
The Internet is used to advertise products. Many companies have WEB sites and encourage potential customers to "visit" these pages. Creation of WEB sites is a well-developed Internet business with a great many people and organizations offering to create WEB sites. In addition, many books are available at almost all good size book stores providing instructions for individuals to create their own WEB sites. One such book is Build Your Own Web Site by Louis Kahn and Laura Logan, published by Microsoft Press with offices in Redmond, Wash. Many, perhaps most, WEB sites are static, i.e. there is no interaction between the user and the WEB site. However, there are many well-known techniques that permit the WEB site to be made active as discussed at page 144-153 of the above reference. These techniques permit an Internet server to change WEB pages as often as desired and they permit users to communicate with a processor associated with the WEB site. With these techniques a user can access a WEB page containing a form containing information and blanks to be completed by the user. The WEB server is able to update the information on the form as often as desired. The user inserts called for information into the blanks on the form and with the click of his mouse transmits the completed form back to the processor associated with the WEB site. The processor can then process the information inserted by the user and the results of the processing can then be transmitted back to the user.
The technology also exists to establish a Local Area Network (LAN). A LAN is a distributed network of computers that are interlinked so that they can exchange information with each other.
An Intranet is a network connecting an affiliated set of users using standard Internet protocols, esp. TCP/IP and HTTP. Intranets--also known as Internal Webs--are only logically "internal" to an organization. Physically they can span the globe, as long as access is limited to a defined community of interest. To draw a comparison, the World Wide Web comprises all HTTP nodes on the public Internet. An internal web comprises all HTTP nodes on a private network, such as an organization's LAN or WAN. If the organization is a corporation, the internal web is also a corporate web.
In today's society, large identified populations of youth are often found alienated from their families, schools and communities, and become labeled as delinquent and disturbed due to their lack of constructive life skill development. Troubled youths that have been unable to learn positive communication skills may find it difficult to function in a normal society.
Research shows that problem youths, need structured guidance for learning pro-social behavior. To overcome the range of social and personal skill deficits, they require a combination of positive behavior models, appropriately challenging practice and continuing reinforcement. Currently, instruction of this quality is extremely rare.
Studies have shown that socially alienated youth respond especially well to interactive media. Youths who feel discomfort in a social environment, often are extremely comfortable interacting with a personal computer. Currently, popular computer activities socially alienated youths enjoy tend to focus on computer games and the Internet. However, unfortunately, the subject matter of the computer games and Internet WEB sites visited by these youths are often violent in nature, resulting only in reinforcing their antisocial behavior and poor communication skills.
Applicant is the author of 10 Essentials for Career LIFE Decisions, Attention: A Guide to Enjoyably Increasing Your Effectiveness and other competency enhancement curricula. Both his masters and doctoral work were media-based, focusing on psychosocial communication and change. In addition to positions as program developer, training director and career coach, he has conducted applied research in educational, developmental and consumer psychology.
Research in the area of behavioral science has shown that the ability to hold the attention of the student is extremely important in increasing learning, retention and performance.
What is needed is a better method and system for facilitating communication and behavior skills training.